Gemini starts replacing Google Assistant inside Android Automotive

This move hardly comes as a surprise. Google hinted at it back during an earnings call last year and then demoed it at Google I/O 2025. Also, the online giant has been investing so heavily in its AI system that it only makes sense for it to eventually replace the traditional Google Assistant.

And while the latter has come a long way over the years, it can still be quite rigid in its conversation and understanding, especially when it has to accept user commands and potentially interpret those to control actual car features. To be clear, this is Android Automotive we are talking about as opposed to Android Auto. The latter is the smart assistant you can cast on your car multimedia screen, while the former is actually an interface built into some modern cars.

Gemini should allow for much more natural conversation instead of memorizing specific commands. For instance, instead of saying something like “Set climate control to level 5,” the user might just say “Blast the AC for me!”

The new switch to Google Gemini seems to be kicking off with OTA updates on certain Volvo cars, like the EX30 electric SUV. Drivers have reported getting a polite pop-up to switch over to Gemini, but only if they want to, which is a nice touch. Also, if they do, Gemini is not super opposing, taking over the entire UI. Instead, it lives inside its own little “interactive pill” in the UI, waiting for a trigger word. There is also a nifty “Live” button that users can press and just have longer conversations with the AI without the need for trigger words.

And in case you were wondering, Google already made a similar switch over to Gemini for most Android Auto users a few months back. The next big thing on the horizon to look out for is actually not Gemini integration, but rather the confusingly-named Gemini Intelligence. It is coming to the Google Pixel 10 family and the Samsung Galaxy S26 family “this summer”, whatever that means and then eventually rolling out in other places, presumably car experiences as well. Gemini Intelligence is actually powerful on another level, being able to complete complex multi-step tasks on its own and in the background, navigating websites and apps on its own in the process.

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